1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, an authentication process method, and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, image forming apparatuses, such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having various functions including including a copy function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a printer function, a laser printer, or an apparatus (for example, a scanner device, a facsimile device, etc.,) having one of the above-listed various functions are known. A card reader device is connectable to the apparatus main unit of an image forming apparatus. In an energy-saving mode that reduces power consumption of the apparatus main unit, when an integrated circuit (IC) card is moved closer to the card reader device that is connected to the apparatus main unit, a contactless wireless communication is performed and the apparatus main unit recovers from the energy-saving mode. Then, on the basis of the data that is read from the IC card, the apparatus main unit performs a user authentication process and, when the user is authenticated as an authorized user, the function of the image forming apparatus becomes usable.
When a non-operation state continues for a given time after transition to an energy-saving mode, a conventional image forming apparatus transitions to an engine-off mode that further reduces power consumption. In the engine-off mode, power supply to the card reader device from the apparatus main unit stops. For this reason, there is a problem in that, even when an IC card is moved closer to the card reader device, contactless wireless communications cannot be performed and the apparatus main unit cannot be recovered from the engine-off mode, which makes it difficult to perform user authentication.
In this case, a power button is operated to recover the conduction state of the apparatus main unit and the IC card is moved closer to the card reader device to perform user authentication. The conventional image forming apparatus is provided with a setting for inhibiting transition to the engine-off mode. When a setting for inhibiting transition to the engine-off mode is made, however, the time of conduction through resources, such as the HDD of the apparatus main unit, the plotter, and the engine of the scanner, increases and therefore there is a risk that the life of the resources will shorten.
Furthermore, user authentication is performed by using a local address book of the apparatus main unit or an authentication server device that is connected to the apparatus main unit via a network. For this reason, to perform user authentication in the energy-saving mode, the apparatus main unit is started and the apparatus main unit refers to the local address book stored in the hard disk drive (HDD), or communicates with the authentication server device on the network, to perform user authentication. For this reason, the apparatus main unit is started each time user authentication is performed and therefore there is a risk that the life of the resources will shorten.